US STOCKS-Futures gain as investors cheer rate cut prospects

U.S. stock index futures rose on Wednesday as Treasury yields slipped to multi-month lows on growing optimism about an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve next year. Wall Street indexes ended marginally higher on Tuesday after Fed Governor Christopher Waller, deemed a hawk, hinted at lower interest rates in the months ahead if inflation continued to ease. "This was the first time a Fed official discussed the possibility of a cut, and that's maybe why market participants ignored comments by Governor Bowman that higher rates may be needed in order to bring inflation back down to the 2% objective," said Charalampos Pissouros, senior investment analyst at XM in a note.